The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-12-01
A QUEER BARGAIN

~heu the railroad people hrs came aicnl
here With their queer looking machines
Isyin' out the new track. We were sl
nightly exercised sboui IL, Some tool
one ricv ADD some another Some vsr
pleased, and sAid II would open up mar
Ike, aud increase the vally o land; willis
Others allowed that the farms would b
ruined, The ~heat fields set shre. the catil'
run over and killed. and the noise itsel
he 80 sbidin noossnce.
Iteli ysu some OF 'em Ss real mad. bu
the maddesi OF the hull LOT was oudeniabl,
Betsey Ann Simeoe.
She Was . single unmarried woman
about 40 or more, and lived on poor little
place OF her own, just above the Cross
Keys tavern.
Twas only two or three acres Of gravelly
land. with = two.room frame house on IL
Folks said she bad little money hid
awsy somswhere. for she vas powerful
sharp at making bargains. and held tight
grip on sll she got hold OF; but oil the
same she made great talk about poverty,
As an excuse for not giving more to the
missionary society sod for repnirs to the
meeting house.
Sill she seemed to get along as well as
any body with her garden, and her COW and
he, poultry. and the little girl she bad
preDticed from the city poor house TO help
with the chores,
She wasn't bad tempered woman in
general, but tell you she was mighty
rled up the day the railroad folke come to
her house and told her they was surveyin'
the track, and that IL would Inn straight
through her house.
She rared up then and lowed the prop
erty was hers and nobody had a right to
30 much as set foot on it without her
consent. They we're civil enough, aud
explained, and said they was willing to
pay double the vally OF the property for
the privilege Of running the road through.
She wouldn't hear it, but out o sheer
contrariness refused every offer, though
any body could see that her mouth water
ed at the very mention OF the money.
She said she'd never give up her home,
and il they run their iDjine through her
house 'twould be.oyer her manged body.
And she wound up by threatening if
they didn't quit in short time, she'd
have them arrested for trespass on her
premises
Well, next day she went down to Hobbs
Holler TO see her cousin, Lucindy Parks,
Lueindy aud the rest tried to convince
her that she d get the best Of the bargain
by letting the railroad company have the
land; but she lowed she'd not be turned
out O. doors to commodate parsel O.
sassy men folks that cared for nothing
but their good. She stayed two days 1t
Lucindy's, and then went back to her own
house at Cross Keys. LeastwAys, she
went to where she'd left her house stand
ing, aud when she came in sight of it. it
was gone, and nothin' Of it left but lot
OF burnt wood and ashes.
Then there was row Betsey Ann
accused the railroad folks Of burning her
house, and threatened to prosecute 'em by
the law. They lowed they could prove
by the neighbors that it had been done
accidentally by parsel o tramps who
camped on the place the night she was
away, and made fire in the woodshed to
roast some Of her chickens for supper
When the chips and wood caught and set
fire 10 the house, they'd got skeered and
made short tracks out O. Cross Keys.
Betsey Ann was convinced the railroad
folks knew more about these tramps than
they chose to let on. But she didn't say
much only dropped little hint that
she'd be even with them bimeby
They offered to build her another house
IL she'd give up the land. She said she'd
consider OF it and let EN- know. Purity
soon they come to an agreement. by which,
besides paying well for the land, they was
to build her two story, four room
frame house. and likewise allow her to
travel free on the road for the rest OF her
life, whenever she wanted to, with a fe
male companion along.
At first they objected to the companion;
but when she explained that she was
lone woman, and couldn't think OF expos
ing herself to the attentions Of strange
men by travelling unprotected they lated,
aud sgreed TO put in that condition along
with the rest, which was done, and the
papers made out and signed according to
law. You see they'd hesrn the neighbofs
lafIing at the idear OF Miss Simcoe ever
Irayslin on the railroad she hsd skeerce-
been farther from home than Hobbs Hol.
Isr or Bowling Green meetin' house in her
life, and most sfeared TO trust herself out
D sight OF Ter own house.
Well. the company kept their word and
run mp two story, four room frame honse
Ior Betsey Ann n-sech as ii was. She de-
,lared twas nothing better than q shanty,
hat wouldn't keep ont the summers beat
,or the winters cold. aud was liable to be
blown away by the first high wind that
,ame along. The company said they had
lot stipulated for the exact way the house
vas TO be built, and they'd done the best
hey could afford to do and she ought to
Do satisfied. She shut up then. bn, sot
ier jaw 10 way she had Of her o~n When
he'd made up her mind to something she
iidnt choose TO talk about Just yet.
AT last the road vas finished, and one
lay everybody turred out to see the in
ius for the drst time, come iearin' aud ,
creecbin' up 10 Cross-Keys. Betsey Ann
~ .tar1 ~ ~ Il.